Add Joy, Not Pounds, With Holiday Spirits

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Tackle diet worries with real solutions during the holidays.

The holidays can put even the most diligent dieter in worry mode. Afterall,
'tis the season to encounter all of your favorite foods -- including many that
can tip the scale in the wrong direction. But some experts suggest the holidays
may be a time to put your diet on cruise control.

"If you weigh the same on Jan. 2 as you did the day before Thanksgiving,
declare victory," says clinical psychologist Gerard J. Musante, PhD.
"Don't try to lose weight over the holidays. Instead go into maintenance
mode." This advice comes from the man who pioneered a behavioral approach
to weight management and founded Structure House, a residential weight loss
program in Durham, N.C., 25 years ago.

So you have the best intentions of getting through the holidays without
gaining weight, but your resolve vanishes with one or two drinks of wine, beer,
or eggnog. Three experts talked to WebMD about the effects of alcohol on eating
behaviors and how you can stay in charge of your eating and enjoy the holidays
at the same time.

Alcohol Is Sneaky

Logic would tell you that if you consume 300 calories by drinking two beers,
your body will compensate and you'll eat less than if you hadn't had the beers.
Not so fast. "Fluid calories from alcohol don't give as strong a feeling of
fullness, so people tend to eat more," says Richard D. Mattes, MPH, PhD,
RD, who has conducted research on the subject. Mattes, who is professor of
foods and nutrition at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., notes that
other beverages such as soda, fruit juice, sports drinks, or specialty teas or
coffees have a similar effect.

But on the flip side, those calories from moderate use of alcohol may not do
as much damage as calories from pecan pie. Mattes points to studies showing
that moderate drinkers weigh no more than abstainers. In these studies, the
drinkers and abstainers took in the same number of calories from food, but the
drinkers added calories from alcohol.

"If they're taking in more calories, how can they weigh the same or
less?" asks Mattes. "It's a fascinating issue and an open question as
to how efficiently energy from alcohol is used."